Rural County Two-Lane Roadway Program
(Federal Funds)
Call for Projects

ISTEA and TEA-21 provided a 10 percent set-aside from the Surface Transportation Program (STP) for the safety program. SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users FFY 2004 - 2009) establishes a new core safety program that is separately funded from the STP program.

The delay in reauthorization of the federal transportation act provided WSDOT an opportunity to review the accident history in the state. It was determined that rural county two-lane roadways and intersections and high-speed corridors have the highest accidents in the state. In July 2005, WSDOT issued a call for projects for the Rural County Two-Lane Roadway Pilot program.

In August 2005 SAFETEA-LU was signed into law.

In the 2006 Supplemental Budget, the Legislature identified a number of projects and uses for federal funds. The 2006 Supplemental Budget SSB 6241 Section 309 (15) appropriates $9.7 million for 25 intersection and corridor safety projects.

In addition, Section 309 (16) appropriates $19,500,000 for rural two-lane roadway projects including $7,500,000 for 15 county projects already under contract. This subsection also requires any further allocations shall be based on high-accident-corridor criteria described as follows: “…“high-accident-corridor” means a highway corridor of one mile or more where analysis of collision history indicates that the section has higher than average collision and severity factors.”

Therefore, the remaining 24 counties shall submit proposals to address the new criteria. The 2006 Guidelines describes the process for the 24 counties.

2006 Guidelines
The purpose of the 2006 Federal Rural County Two-Lane Roadway program is to fund “high-accident-corridor” projects on two lane county roads that are functionally classified as a rural arterial (02), minor arterial (06), and major collector (07). A “high-accident-corridor” is defined as a section of road one mile or more in length that exceeds the county average for collisions and severity on rural two lane arterials, minor arterials and major collectors. The “high-accident-corridor” rate shall be based on number of crashes per million vehicle miles.

The term “high-accident-corridor” means a project that:

• corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature; or
• addresses a highway safety problem.

• Installation of rumble strips;
• Improvement of highway signage and pavement markings (No pass stripes, pavement markers, edge stripes, wider stripes, higher-type retro reflective marking material, raised pavement markings, recessed pavement markers, etc.);
• Installation of guideposts;
• Installation of a traffic control or other warning device at a location with high accident potential such as warning signs for curves;
• Installation of guardrails, barriers, and crash attenuators;
• Installation of skid-resistant surface at an intersection or other location with a high frequency of accidents;
• Provide appropriate recovery area or clear zone that is free of fixed object hazards (such as slope flattening or providing breakaway features).

Match Requirement:
There is no match requirement.

Eligible Counties:
Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Skagit, Walla Walla, Whatcom and Yakima.

Other Requirements:

• Counties are required to report quarterly to WSDOT on the status of the project.
• Projects comply with the Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) manual.
• Projects shall be completed no later than December 2008.
• County shall prioritize a maximum of 20 high accident corridor projects and complete the Rural Two-Lane Roadway application.

Submittal Process:
Completed application is due by Midnight June 5, 2006 electronically to Mike Horton at HortonM@wsdot.wa.gov

Selection Process:
WSDOT will review proposals and notify successful agencies in July 2006.

Program Contact:
Region Local Programs Engineer

The 15 counties (Adams, Columbia, Grant, Grays Harbor, Kittitas, Lewis, Pacific, San Juan, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum and Whitman) currently under contract are to continue to follow the requirements detailed below:

2005 Guidelines:
The purpose of the 2005 Federal Rural County Two-Lane Roadway program is to fund low cost safety improvements. The projects are to be low cost/high benefit safety improvements, utilizing a system wide approach versus spot improvements. The improvements will address high accident locations, high accident corridors as well as risk locations. Types of projects the rural county two-lane roadway safety grant program may fund are:

Category One Projects  Types of improvements may include:

• Rumble strips (centerline and edge lines);
• Pavement markings (No pass stripes, pavement markers, edge stripes, wider stripes, higher-type retro reflective marking material, raised pavement markings, recessed pavement markers);
• Guideposts;
• Warning signs (such as signing for curves);
• Barrier installation on outside of curve with no additional widening required.
  

• Installation of barriers (widening allowed);
• Provide consistent clear zone width along a corridor (minimum width to permit a disabled vehicle to pull completely off the roadway);
• Provide appropriate recovery area or clear zone that is free of fixed object hazards (such as slope flattening or providing breakaway features);
• Other low cost solutions.

Match Requirement:
There is no match requirement.

Threshold Requirements:

• Counties are required to report quarterly to WSDOT on the status of their project.
• Projects shall be consistent with local, regional and state transportation plans and local comprehensive plans.
• Project sites shall be on a federally functional classified route.
• Project sites shall have a minimum ADT (average daily traffic) of 250.
• Project complies with the Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) manual.
• Projects shall be completed no later than December 2007.

Program Contact
Region Local Programs Engineer

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